Manufacture of twist or lace fabrics



`ct- 2.5 1960 H. MGCALLIQN ETAL 2,957,383

` y y MANUFACTURE oF 'rwrs'r on LACE FABRICS Filed Aug. 2s, 1957 v 4 Sheets-sheet 1 'Y /m/enfors HenryMcCa//on @05E/Jh A/berf Pope By fhe/'r afforneys #NM MIM' ot.zs,196o H, MCCALUON mL 2,957,383

MANUFACTURE OF TWIST 0R LACE FABRICS Filed Aug. 23, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 /m/enfors Henry MC60/Hon Josep/1 A/ber/ Pope 5y l/ze/r affomeys Oct..2`5, 1960 HMGCALLION TAL l2,957,333 y MAmJFAcTURE oF- 'msr oa LACE FABRICS I l 4 sheets-sheet s Filed Aug. 23, v19,57

Josep/7 Uber/Pope -By their a//orneys oct. 25, 1960 H. MccMgLloN mL 2,957,383

,Fliled Aug. 23, 1957 v 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Joseph A/ber Pope B y fhe/'r afforneys States Patent 2,957,383 Patented Oct. 25, `17960 2,957 ,383 Y MANUFACTURE OF TWIST OR LACE FABRICS Henry McCallion, 8 Mona St., Beeston, Nottingham, England, and Joseph Albert Pope, Wortley Hall Close, Derby Road, Nottingham, England Filed Aug. 23, 1951, ser. No. $0,000

3 Claims. (c1. irl-4) This invention is concerned with improvements in the manufacture of textile fabrics and is concerned with improvements in the manufacture of fabrics formed by a twisting process normally a relative twisting of warp threads and bobbin threads. Lace fabrics are well known textile fabrics formed by a twisting process, but other types of fabrics to which the present invention has applications are carpets made by the inter-twisting of two or more sets of threads.

This invention is particularly concerned with a fabric made on a Levers or go-through lace machine and with improvements in levers or ,go-through lace machines.

Normally a Levers machine provides for a shed of warp threads extending from one or more warp beams substantially vertically upwards from the machine and means for locating a plurality of bobbin carriages, each carriage having a bobbin rotatably mounted therein and with a bobbinV thread wound thereon. The bobbin carriages are reciprocated to and fro from the front to the back of the machine and in their passage they pass between the warp threads. The warp threads are selectively shogged either way so that the bobbin threads are twisted around the warp threads.

This method of inter-twisting of threads necessitates bobbin carriages and comb sectors for the guiding of the carriages, which parts are in relative movement and in order to avoid friction, considerable research has been made to find a satisfactory lubricant. Despite all efforts, the most satisfactory lubricant is still graphite, which is both a dirty lubricant and one which if brought into contact with the fabric renders it very difficult to remove from the fabric during the finishing processes.

This feature is especially noticeable when the threads are of the polyamide or polyester base, due to their accumulation of static electricity.

The present invention provides a reversal of the normal process of inter-twisting of threads as exemplified in a Levers machine and provides for the bobbin threads to be wound on to bobbins and rotatably mounted in bobbin carriages which are stationary in the centre of the machine and provides for the warp threads to be reciprocated relative to the bobbin carriages so as to clear the bobbin threads and to enable the warp threads to be twisted around the bobbin threads. The invention provides a method of forming a textile fabric by the intertwisting of bobbin threads and warp threads comprising locating bobbin thread holders between adjacent warp threads in a shed of warp threads, reciprocating the warp threads relative to the bobbin threads to an extent sufficient to enable the warp threads to clear the bobbin thread holders and shogging selected warp threads to enable the said warp threads to twist around the bobbin threads.

Conveniently the invention provides for apparatus for the formation of textile fabric by twisting warp threads around bobbin threads which comprises means for locating a plurality of bobbin threads alternatively between a 1 thread between each bobbin carriage.

threads around the bobbin threads the reciprocatable.

the warp threads are able to be displaced sideways relaplurality of warp threads in a shed of warp threads, means for reciprocating the warp threads relative to the bobbin threads to a suicient extent to enable the warp threads to pass around the bobbin threads and means for shogging selected warp threads either side of the bobbin threads to twist the warp threads around the bobbin threads. Y

Conveniently the warp threads are wound on to one or more warp beams which are held in the lower part of the machine in appropriate warp beam bearings. The warp threads pass upwardly from the beams through suitable warp thread guides and spacers and through steel bars which are customarily actuated by a jacquard mechanism to enable selected warp threads to be shogged sidewaysof'the shed of warp threads.

The warp threads then pass upwardly through a slot in a: tail guide `and`then further through a slot in a reciprocatable warp guide. Between the tail guide and the rereciprocatable warp guide there are located a plurality of bobbin carriages in spaced relationship with a warp To twist warp warp guide is reciprocated to an extent suflicient to enable thewarp threads to clear the ends of bobbin thread carriages, and thus if the steel bars have been shogged tive to the bobbin threads and when the reciprocatable warp guide moves in a reverse direction so as to bring the shed of warp threads between the bobbin carriages, thewarp threads have been twisted around appropriate bobbin threads.

Conveniently link mechanism is employed to reciprocate the reciprocatable warp guide. The bobbin carriages conveniently are pear shaped and are supported with the apexof the pear downwardly. They have an aperture for receivingV and locating bobbins in rotatable mannerand are provided with a thread guide aperture through which the bobbin thread passes as it is withdrawn from the bobbin. Pivotally mounted adjacent the apex of the carriage is a tail member which extends into the slot in the reciprocatable tail guide member, and the tail member is reciprocated in an opposite direction to the recilgar'ocatableV warp guide member. The tail member serves to assist ythe clearance of the warp threads relative to the bobbin threads and to ensure that the warp thread engages correctly in the gap between adjacent bobbin carriages Vso as to twist around the appropriate bobbin thread onthe next movement of the reciprocatable warp guide member.

' The invention also provides for a bobbin holder comprising a plate of pear shape having an aperture therein for rotatable location of a bobbin and a tail member pivoted at the apex thereof.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood reference will now be made to the drawings accompanying the provisional specification in which:

Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view with the warpdisplacers in the central or neutral position,

Figure V2 is a fragmentary vertical section through the centre of the machine, and

Figure 3 is a perspective View of ya portion of one of the warp displacer bars, and to the drawings accompanying this specification in which:

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of a machine according to the presentV invention, Figure 5 is a front view thereof, Figure 6 is a detailed view of -a warp thread in one position,

Figure 7 is an alternative view with the warp thread in a different position,

Figure 8 is a front view corresponding to Figure 6, Figure 9 is a front view corresponding to Figure 7.

bobbin carriage with a As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the carriages 1 for the bobbins 2 are of triangular shape and are positioned laterally by means of the fins 3 of rotating nned rollers 4. The carriages are supported on a reciprocating mechanism which constitutes the warp or beam thread traversing or displacing mechanism. This mechanism comprises front and back displacer bars 5 having deep serrations 6 between extended downwardly directed teeth 7. The movement of the warp or beam thread ltraversing mechanism need not be purely reciprocating, it may be a combination of reciprocating and rotary movement, or it may be a purely rotary movement.

The warp or beam threads are taken through a thread tensioning device 8 before proceeding as in the existing machines, to the sley 9 and steel guide bars 10. The longitudinal position of the warp or beam threads will be controlled by the steel guide bars 10 which in turn will be positioned by means of a jacquard or any other Suitable device in known manner. From the steel bars 10 the warp or beam threads pass up between the carriages 1 and meet the bobbin threads. The work will then pass up over the facing bar 11 and porcupine roller 12 to the work roller 13.

The mode of operation of the machine is as follows:

Considering the steel guide bars 10 just to have taken up their new position yand the warp thread traversing mechanism 5/7 to be travelling to the left, the warp or beam threads will take up the positions in the front face of the right hand traversing bar as dictated by the steel bars. When the threads have been moved far enough over to the left they will begin to slip over the inclined Sides of the carriages, and will eventually pass over the lower corners of the carriages to take up their new positions between the carriages in dependence on the shogging 'that was given them by the bars 10. They will be aided in this transfer by the ns 3 of the rotating nned rollers 4.

The thread traversing mechanism 5/7 will then commence its return stroke leaving the threads entered between the correct pairs of carriages. The warp threads will be made to return to the centre of the well by means of the thread tensioning device 8 and/ or the thread traversing mechanism. The steel bars 10 will then be arranged in their new positions and the process repeated but with the thread traversing mechanism moving to the right.

The use of fins on the rollers 4 at the top of the carriages may have a suiicient beating-up elect to dispense with the point bars and points of the existing mechanism.

In the drawings accompanying this specification a warp beam 14 has a plurality of warp threads wound thereon, which warp threads 37 extend upwardly as before. After passing through apertures in the steel bars 10 the warp threads 37 pass through a slot 29 in a guide 28 and thence upwardly `through a slot 26 in a guide 25. Parallel grooved bars 27 locate a plurality 0f bobbin carriages 33 in spaced relationship along the length of the machine. The warp threads 37 are threaded so as to pass between adjacent bobbin carriages 33. The bobbins 34 are rotatably mounted in an aperture formed in the bobbin carriages 33 and the bobbin threads 38 are withdrawn from the bobbins through a thread guide 35 in the bobbin carriages.

The bobbin carriages have a tail member 32 pivoted at 36 near the apex thereof which member extends into the slot 29 in the guide 28. The guide 28 is reciprocatable by a link 31 connected to a rotatable crank 30.

The guide 25 is secured to a pivoted arm 39 and is rotated about the pivoted arm 39 by a link 17 connected to a rotatable crank 16 and imparts movement to the 4 link 21, pivoted at 22 to a shorter link 18 rotatable about a shaft 23.

The formed fabric passes through fabric guides 19 on to a porcupine roller 12 and thence on to a fabric take-up roller 13.

In operation the warp threads are reciprocated to and fr0 between the bobbin carriages 33 and are shogged either side of the bobbin carriages by the movement of the steel bars 10. When the guide 25 is at its maximum displacement the warp threads extending through the slot 26 are at an angle such that they are able to clear completely the bobbin carriages 33 and are thus able to slide along the edge of the slot 29 so that when the guide 25 moves in an opposite direction to pass the warp threads between the bobbin carriages, it passes the warp threads between `diierent bobbin carriages and thus twists the warp threads around the bobbin threads 38.

In order to assist the clearance of the Warp threads around the bobbin carriages, the tail member 32 is moved in an opposite direction by the guide 28 which further serves to increase the angle of the warp threads relative to the vertical. As the guides move towards their central position the tail member 32 first engages the warp thread which is then closely adjacent to the steel bar through which it passes, and thus encourages the warp thread to slide Iaround the Itail member and into the selected gap between the `bobbin carriages. The inter-twisted bobbin and warp threads then pass upwards through the gap 26 and are beaten up by appropriate beating-up mechanism (not shown), thence through the fabric guides 19 and on to the take-up roller 13.

It will be `appreciated that the present invention provides both method and apparatus for the inter-twisting of warp and bobbin threads which is both novel and expedient. The elimination of movement of bobbin carriages considerably reduces the friction of the machine which in turn reduces the necessity of lubricating agents such as graphite and reduces the amount of power needed to drive the machine.

Furthermore the reciprocation of the guides 25 involves considerably less inertia than Ythe reciprocation of bobbin carriages and enables the machine to be operated at considerably greater number of racks per minute.

What we claim is:

1. The method of forming a textile fabric by the relative twisting of bobbin threads and warp threads in which the bobbin threads are stationary and the warp threads are moved backwards and forwards and selectively sideways to be twisted around the bobbin threads.

2. The method of forming a textile fabric by the relative twisting of bobbin threads and warp threads which comprises locating bobbin thread holders between adjacent warp threads in a shed of warp threads, reciprocating the warp threads relative to the bobbin threads to an extent sufficient to enable the warp threads to clear the bobbin thread holders and selectively shogging the warp threads to enable the said warp threads to twist around the lbobbin threads.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein lthe warp threads are reciprocated relative to the bobbin threads on the fabric side of the `bobbin thread holders.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,107,335 Mat-itsch Aug. 18, 1914 1,584,074 Blore May 11, 1926 1,942,152 Sauer `lan. 2, 1934 2,164,749 Martin et al. July 4, 1939 2,341,952 Schuler Feb. 15, 1944 

